Finals Week Two Premier Divisions Match Previews

–

Written by Michael Shillito

–

Just four teams remain in each of our Premier Division comps. The Grand Final is just a couple of weeks away; and on Saturday the first Grand Finallists will be known. In both comps, the minor premier will face off against the defending premier; with a spot in the season’s biggest game up for grabs.

But for the loser, they get another chance.

Then on Sunday, two more semi-finallists face off. There’s no tomorrow for the loser, and everything is on the line. Bomb out here and the season is over. The stakes are high, the effort will be intense, the desperation enormous. Having gone this far and made the finals, it’s been a good year; but no-one wants to end it just yet.

So on both days this weekend, Henson Park will be rocking with some important footy action. You won’t want to miss this.

Don’t forget, if you’re going to Henson, you’ll need a ticket. So get online to (link – Sydney, Australia Afl Sydney Events | Eventbrite ) and get that sorted.

And if you can’t get out there, you can catch the action live on Kayo Sports and the AFL Sydney Facebook page; so wherever in the world you are, you don’t have to miss a moment of the action.

–

MENS PREMIER DIVISION

Major Semi-Final

North Shore Bombers v UNSW-ES Bulldogs

Henson Park, Saturday 1:20pm

North Shore – Minor Premiers

UNSW-ES – Qualifying Final – UNSW-ES 9.10 (64) def Pennant Hills 9.4 (58)

The footy purists of our city will be salivating at the prospect of what could unfold here. The minor premier against the defending premier, a repeat of last year’s Grand Final, the top two facing off for a spot in our league’s biggest stage. This game has all the ingredients of a classic, you won’t want to miss this one.

North Shore were the benchmark team through the regular season, only dropping the one game and being first on the ladder by a long way. Getting it done in finals can be a whole new ball game, and even last year they dropped this game to the Bulldogs after leading for most of the afternoon. But the Bombers have plenty of class around the ground; you need to look no further than Ned Campbell, Jack Dillon and Josh Rayner, who were the standouts at the Bombers’ last start, when they beat the Magpies in the final round of the regular season at Gore Hill. They’re refreshed, they’re pumped, and they’re ready. Anyone who is going to beat the Bombers in these finals is going to have to earn it.

Meanwhile the Bulldogs are continuing their impressive form, and they’re ready for a crack at making another Grand Final. Last week in the Qualifying Final, they held an impressive lead after three quarters, but in the end had to hang on for dear life as the Demons kept coming; and just held them out to win by a kick. Max Geddes, Tom Baxter and Tom Unger were in the thick of the action for the Bulldogs; who had to dig deep in defence at the end, but did enough to get themselves into this familiar finals position. Ruling out the 2021 season that was cut short, the Bulldogs have won the Major Semi-Final the last four years in a row and they’re ready for number five.

North Shore have won both meetings between these clubs so far this year. In round 3 at Henson Park, it was a 38-point result; and they followed that up with a 17-point win at Gore Hill in round 15. We’re in finals now, the stakes are higher and the cream of the competition is ready to rise to the top. With a spot in the Grand Final on the line, without having to go through the angst of a sudden-death Preliminary Final, now is the time to stand and deliver. With the team that has been the dominant force in the regular season against the team that has dominated finals in recent seasons, this should be a ripper of a contest.

–

Minor Semi-Final

Pennant Hills Demons v Sydney University

Henson Park, Sunday 2:20pm

Pennant Hills – Qualifying Final – Pennant Hills 9.4 (58) lost to UNSW-ES 9.10 (64)

Sydney Uni – Elimination Final – Sydney Uni 13.9 (87) def Manly 10.5 (65)

Sunday afternoon sees the Demons take on the Students in a battle from which only one team will survive. The winner will be just one game away from the Grand Final, while the loser’s season comes to an end. It’s a must-win battle at Henson Park, and nothing can be left in the tank here. It’s now or never.

Pennant Hills, returning to finals action after missing out last year, showed their never-say-die spirit in last week’s Qualifying Final against the Bulldogs. At three quarter time, they looked gone; 21 points down and clearly outplayed. But in the last quarter they kept coming. Five goals for the quarter, and they got so close to running the Bulldogs down; but in the end they fell just six points short. Michael Carroll, Mitch Blow and Harry Maguire played key roles for the Demons in what was a magnificent fighting effort. And, thanks to finishing in the top three, they get another shot this week. This time they have to make it count; and can’t afford to let their opponent get out to a lead. Keep within striking distance, and then their last-quarter finishing power can do the job.

Sydney Uni kept their season alive last week with a 22-point win over Manly in the Elimination Final. A strong start got it done, with five goals in each of the first two quarters setting up too big a lead for the Wolves to be a chance to chase down. Nick Lees, Riley Fitzroy and Harry Whitaker were prominent performers for the Students; particularly in the first half when they built their match-winning lead. Last year the Students exited the season at this point, this time round they’ll be keen to go one better; but with each week the bar is lifted and the standard must be raised higher.

In round 2 at Mike Kenny Oval, the Students prevailed by 18 points. The Students got up again in round 12 by 32 points. Will it be third time lucky for the Demons? Or will the Students continue their streak against the Demons? The fate of the 2023 season rests on this game. It’s been a good year for both clubs, and no-one wants to finish yet. So a big effort required here. If you can’t fire your bullets here, you’ll be left with regret as a season ends too soon. Now is the time.

–

WOMENS PREMIER DIVISION

Major Semi-Final

UTS Bats v East Coast Eagles

Henson Park, Saturday 11:20am

UTS – Minor Premiers

East Coast – Qualifying Final – East Coast 6.3 (39) def Manly 3.4 (22)

The first spot in this year’s Grand Final is up for grabs, and it’s an appetising match-up as the minor premiers take on the defending premiers. The Bats have been massive improvers this year, coming from outside the finals last year to top the table. But this is their toughest test yet, against a team that has done it all before and has the experience at the business end of the season.

The Bats have done just about everything right this year. All they’ve had to do is keep winning; and they’ve done that. They’re refreshed after having last week off; and barely raised a sweat in the last round of the regular season as they kept Southern Power scoreless, helped along by the relentless efforts of Taylah Canobie, Danika Spamer and Kaitlin McCaffery. Finals are a new ball game, and this  is a new challenge; but the Bats have earned their right to take on this challenge and they’re pumped and ready to go.

East Coast have the big game experience. They won the title last year, and know what they have to do to do it again. Last week in the Qualifying Final, they slugged it out with Manly for three quarters, and there was only a kick in it at the last change. But when the game was there to be won, the Eagles stood and delivered, holding the Wolves scoreless to complete a 17-point win. Renee Tomkins, Amelie Prosser-Shaw and Jess Whelan featured prominently for the Eagles as they showed once again they can get the job done in those critical moments.

In a remarkably tight season, both of these clubs only lost one game during the regular season; with the clubs splitting their meetings against each other. The Eagles completed a comfortable 41-point result in round 7 at Kanebridge; but the Bats turned the tables with a 9-point win at Waverley in round 14. Not we’re on neutral territory, with the stakes raised. This is the time for the best in the league to rise, take the game when it is there to be won. Sudden death preliminary finals can be stressful, but the winner avoids that angst; and has an extra week to prepare for their date with destiny. Now is the time to hit your peak performance.

–

Minor Semi-Final

Manly-Warringah Wolves v Macquarie Uni Goannas

Henson Park, Sunday 12:20pm

Manly – Qualifying Final – Manly 3.4 (22) lost to East Coast 6.3 (39)

Macquarie Uni – Elimination Final – Macquarie Uni 5.12 (42) def Sydney Uni 4.3 (27)

Not much has separated the Wolves and the Goannas this season. It was a tight see-sawing battle for the double-chance in the finals. The Wolves ended up with the double-chance; but after going down to East Coast while the Goannas got up against Sydney Uni, these teams meet again. This time they’re on equal terms; but by the time the sun sets on Sunday only one of these teams will still be alive in this season, while the other will be preparing for Mad Monday.

Manly in last week’s Qualifying Final fought back to be within five points of the Eagles at three quarter time. But they were unable to add to their score in the last quarter to go down by 17 points. Andrea Roditis, Hannah Woolf and Jacqui Green fought hard, but the Wolves fell agonisingly short. But they get another crack this week; and all is not lost. Now they have to get the job done against the Goannas to stay alive. They’ve done it before; but the stakes are higher this time. No more chances, this is must-win.

Meanwhile Macquarie Uni got through their Elimination Final against Sydney Uni by 15 points. Scores were level at the long break, but the Goannas tightened the screws in the second half, holding the Students to one point in the second half to complete the win. Charlotte Latsombath, along with the experienced duo of Amanda Farrugia and Sera Kaukiono, stood up and performed when the game was there to be won. In sudden death finals, it’s tough to back up week after week and keep performing; but that’s what the Goannas have to do from here. To back up and do it again every week.

These teams have split their meetings this season. In round 7 at Weldon, the Wolves got up by seven points in a close one. But the Goannas reversed that result at Gipps Road in round 16 to get up by ten points. Both games were close and tightly-contested; and with so much on the line this time, you can expect more of the same. Survival depends on it; and this match is a tight-rope in which only one team will be left standing.

–